Good Ole' New England

Hello friends and family! 

There was so much that went on this week,  

Miracles fell from the sky, along with snow... lots of snow haha. 

We were able to meet with the W's. They are so cute. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they basically knew everything! They are so prepared for the gospel! 

Thursday was our car fast! The whole mission worked with members and didn't touch our cars. We were able to go with our Relief Society to see C, who is awesome! We had a really good lesson with her and we are working on getting her back to church :) We were also able to have an awesome discussion with L about going to the temple! She is super excited! 

Awesome miracle- So L has been going through round after round of Chemo to make sure that all the cancer is gone from her lungs. She had an appointment where her doctor was basically in shock because she still has hair and after the initial 3 days afterwards treatments she is totally fine. She just goes, "Yeah, I know that it is because of my prayers and the blessings from the Elders." She is so awesome! 

Friday was t-texts... OH. WOAH. CRAZINESS. Sister H is going to stay in Norwich with Sister B who is from Brazil. The Elders are both leaving and the Zone Leaders are coming to Norwich! Elder T is going to Pittsfeild, the biggest area in the mission. Elder L is going back to the Chinese program in Cambridge. And guess what... Sister M and Sister G are both TRAINING! What??? I am going to be a grandma! I am so proud! :) My text that I sent out... S. Alexander (I don't want to go)

So, on Saturday around 10am it started snowing... but we had things to do... so we went out... and boy did it snow! We went in for a lesson with a member and there was no snow except for on the grass and when we came out... it like someone took powdered sugar and gave it to a 5 year old haha.  We got red dotted... and then guess who came to rescue us... The B's! From Worcester! It was another Red-Dot Dinner with the best couple ever! It was so great to see them! Brother B is a boss at driving in the snow and we got to and from the restaurant (Ninety-Nine was still open... another Miracle) totally safe! 

We forgot our phone and when we got back... we found out that church was canceled. Oh New England, my good friend haha. Punk. so yeah. My last Sunday in the mission, church was canceled ahahahaha. It was a good day though because we got to go up to Greenfield Mass, where Sister H came from, to see one of the people that she taught enter the waters of baptism. The spirit was so strong there. It was a great day after all.

Well my friends, I wanted to thank you for reading these, or skimming them, or just looking at the pictures. I have felt your prayers and your thoughts in my behalf and in behalf of the people that I have been privileged to work with and around. Missions are interesting times. It is a super scary thing to come home honestly. Almost like being dropped into an unknown abyss haha. As I have been pondering it, a scripture was brought to my attention. 

As Alma looks at his work and his mission he says (I may have paraphrased a bit 😊)

"But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of [Madison, Worcester, and Norwich and the entirety of the Massachusetts Boston Mission].

  Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!

 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.

  And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God;

 yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. 

And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen."

This is going to be good. The show must go on :)

You are all so loved.

Be good

Love,

"Sistah Alexandah"

Sister Alexander

Pictures

1-Me and L 

2-Sister K, Sister H and I #CarFast

Day 552

Hello Friends! How was your week?Mine has been so good! Lots of cool things happened!First, we went on exchanges! I got to go to Westerly Rhode Island and meet some awesome people! I went with Sister B who is a doll! She came out on the mission the same time that Sister H did! While I was gone, Norwich decided to explode and the Elders and Sisters here found 8 new investigators! Like WHAT!? So awesome. We really were blessed this week.We also met a couple of less actives this week. They are adorable. We also helped Sister J's mom and dad make her a birthday cake. The first one that they could make her in years due to health. It was super good and you better bet that I got the recipe!  We got to meet with our Investigator J. He is super cool and he is Haitian! We brought Sierra with us and she was a star helping us teach the Plan of Salvation. I am super excited to teach with the missionaries when I get home. Hopefully I am not too awkward ahaha. Aha moment:So whilst on exchanges we went to visit an inactive member who hadn't been to church in years. He was very nice and pretty well off. He asked us what we wanted to do with our lives, and after said, "well, good luck with that," to me... uhm, okay. He proceeded to explain that with the way the world is going being logical in our jobs is the best idea. I was like uhm rude haha. But, then I started thinking about what I had been studying earlier that day. I had been studying in Preach My Gospel about the Christlike attribute of Hope. "Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism,enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps you conquer discouragement." I realized that this man's lack of faith and desire to come to church made his optimism about life and life goals close to nothing. It really made me grateful to be able to grow and nurture my faith and for the gift of the hope that I have been given. Ahaha moments:-At district meeting, Elder G (who is companions with Elder B) was talking to us about Pday. We told him that a member wanted to take us to a cool makeup store and he was all "oh! Can I come? I need some foundation... aha just kidding, my only foundation is Jesus Christ." aha missionary humor. -Sister F, who is one of the counterparts of our Hexpanionship here in Norwich, has a bunch of birds. They are named, Eenie, Menie, Miney, Moe, Tweetie, Dreamsicle and I named the last one Phil. Elder F thought it was hilarious. -Sister J's Mother, Sister S, is known to tell missionaries who are going home when they are going to get married and every single time, she has been dead on. One kid she just goes, "3 months," and he was like, "yeah right." Sister J said that 3 months to the day he stepped off the plane he was on his way to the temple to get married... like WHAT? So obviously, with my determination to be the first Mormon Nun, I was avoiding her like the plague. Then we have dinner over there and Sister H is all, " Oh, so you know Sister Alexander goes home soon right?" She just goes, "Yeah I know, she will be married sooner than she thinks." So, Sister H is all, "YES! So August 20th?" (Her birthday) Sister S, "Oh goodness sooner than that." Well folks, looks like my cats will have to wait. ahaha Just kidding, I got a suitcase with cats on it today... :D You are all so loved! Have an awesome week!Be good!LoveSister AlexanderPicture

Us at the M's home. They are adorable. 7 kids, all awesome. 

"Women of God, Peace!" -A man waving to us as he walked out of the Library

Hey guys! 

This week was full of CHANGE! Change in rules, change in weather haha. 

This week was COLD! Like 15 degrees cold... and windy. In the words of Elder L, "It is warmer in ALASKA!" (It was like 37 in Alaska that day ahaha) 

We had my last MLC (mission leadership council), my last Zone Meeting planning, and my last Zone Meeting. Let's just say that it was emotional ahaha. 

Miracles- 

Tuesday night at 10 I was called by the APs and asked to sing for MLC. UHM what? So in a frantic hurry I called my "Children", Sister M and Sister G and asked them to help. So then, on Wednesday, we asked two Elders, Elder K(who I was in the MTC with) and Elder S(who was in Norwich the transfer before I came) to join us and we sang, "I need the Every hour" (my go to) and Sister M played the piano. It was great, I love singing with missionaries. Especially these ones! :)

So Transfer Meeting is a meeting in which departing missionaries get to bear their testimonies before they go home, we get to say goodbye to members and investigators and stuff like that. So, I was stressing about

1) what I was even going to say

2) how to make sure everyone I wanted to see was invited. Then... the General Authorities had a training and they informed missions that transfer meetings are not policy and effective now they are canceled... so I have like zero stress ahaha.  

On Thursday we were thinking about a less active family and we made a plan to call them the next day. On Friday we got to Zone Meeting and found a missed call from them! We were able to go over and see them and help them and they came to church on Sunday! 

Aha moments-

Oh goodness. There were a lot. We have been focusing on becoming consecrated disciples of Jesus Christ. Something that President said really hit me. "It isn't so much the consecration, it is the becoming that we want to focus on." 

Ahaha moments-

I figured out that my stomach sounds like a dying moose a lot, just like in high school... When I am anxious. So, lets just say that a lot of moose were heard this week. 

Also, I found cat luggage today... like a suitcase with cats on it... woot-woot!

Have a great week!

You are all so loved! 

Love 

Sister Alexander

 

 

 

Surprises and My Friend Moe

Hello family and friends!

Was your week full of parties and surprises? Ours was full of the latter! 

The biggest surprise was probably getting a call from the APs on Wednesday telling us that interviews was on Thursday. What? haha I love President Miller. We had an awesome talk about life and the work and all that stuff and it put at ease my stressed out mind. 

The second surprise was getting some letters! Missionaries love letters! 

The third... IT SNOWED! We woke up to snow blanketing the ground on the 2nd and it snowed again today. I love snow in small increments! 

Aha moments:

A couple quotes of the week

"It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent."

"Using the atonement does not lower the bar, it raises us to it."

"Hope can be spread like a yawn. That is why we share the Gospel. Don't hide your hope."

Ahaha moment:

I was told 12 times this week that I will be engaged 3 months after I get home (nah). I was also told that I reminded someone of someone else 4 times on Friday, that was weird. 

Life is good. We are working really hard on finding new people to teach. Everyone kind of disappeared, but that just means we have more time for people who want to learn! 

God is great. I love this gospel. I love being here in Norwich. 

Have a great week! 

Be good!

Love,

Sister Alexander

Picture- This is me and my friend Moe. He was a small glowy Christmas Zombie. He grew into a big glowy Christmas Zombie. I love him.